Luck
by Perfections-Cat
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto didn't have a plan for life, but on Christmas Eve, he had his mind set on one thing: tonight, someone was going to love him. AU. NaruSasu.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**: Hola and happy holidays everyone! This is my very first AU _Naruto_ fic ever. So I do apologize. The idea was conceived a few days ago, after a day spent cramming for finals. College stress does weird things to the mind, and as I was driving back from campus, Franz Ferdinand's "Do You Want To" came on. And thus, I was terribly amused by the thoughts of the boys as college students. There's probably a fair amount of OOC-ness about this piece. Again, I'm sorry. But hopefully you'll find some amusement from the workings of my stressed mind.

* * *

When Uzumaki Naruto woke up Christmas Eve morning, he was set on one thing: tonight, he was going to make someone love him. 

And he figured, certainly fate had it written out somewhere, that hanging around Top of the Stairs - his favorite bar, not to mention favorite place of employment - was going to help him achieve this aim. It was a relatively good place to start if anything else.

"Oi, Uzumaki! What're doin' in here on Christmas Eve?"

"Yo, Kiba!" Naruto returned the greeting, giving a lazy wave of his hand. "Where else am I gonna go this time of year? Besides, figure I might get lucky tonight."

The bartender gave a short bark of laughter. "You and luck don't belong together. And it has nothing to do with luck and everything to do with you being a senseless showoff."

"Hey, hey now! It's Christmas Eve! Cut me some slack," the Sociology senior laughed as he pulled off his jacket, a warning-bright orange, and hung it on the pegs beside the door. With a rough shake of his head, he sent the snow that had gathered among the blond strands spilling onto the floor. "Besides, you're not one to talk about sense, you reckless bastard."

Bright blue eyes scanned the room, sweeping from the pool tables at the back to the snow-drenched porch, finally settled his sights on the bar. A few girls hung about in the back, laughing and drinking around one of the pool tables. He knew a few of them from various classes he had taken, parties he had attended. Simply casual acquaintances. Up at the front end of the bar, two older men were watching the basketball game on the television screen.

"Kinda dead," Naruto commented as he took at seat.

"Yeah, it's something called Christmas. You know, family gatherings and stiff parties up the ass. You generally don't spend it in a bar, Uzumaki."

Unable to help it, Naruto found himself laughing heartily. He kept imagining some large hand boxing up a party, tiny people milling about with glasses of champagne in hand and dressed in their holiday finery, red and gold and green sparkling like gaudy Christmas wrapping. Smaller and smaller until it sat as a neat little suppository in the palm of that gigantic hand. Perfect for shoving.

"Yeah, I know, Kiba," the blond replied, hardly able to get the words past his lips without breaking into giggles. "So, why are you working then? Your family's only an hour away."

"Yeeeah, but they went off sledding. Something about camping in the snow, getting the dogs some 'real' experience. They'll be back tomorrow though."

There was a clink of glass, ice cubes falling into place. Naruto threw a glance back at the girls, nearly choked on his own spit at the scene greeting him. The one currently bending over the table apparently had no problems with the cold, black mini-skirt rising onto her hips with every inch she slipped over the green felt top. It was like an obscene holiday greeting card, those ones where they forced the kids to pose and show off their best smiles. He caught the muffled snickering of the girls around her, knew they were probably watching his reaction.

"Double rum and Coke," Kiba stated, setting the Collins glass before Naruto. "And I know you're all about luck, but Ino there set a whole new standard for town bike rides. Not that I'm going to stop you."

"I didn't order a drink. And there's no harm in looking."

Kiba shrugged. "Figured you should start your 'night of luck' off right."

"Thanks." Naruto lifted his glass, inclining his head towards the dark-haired bartender then gulping down half the contents in one go. He liked the drink. It was cheap, easy to make, and the rum always sizzled down his throat. At least it did when he and Kiba made them.

Three rum and Cokes and a failed attempt to draw the girls to the bar later, Uzumaki Naruto found himself playing quarters with one of the older men, who as it turned out was actually a professor of human sexuality at the university. The white-haired bastard was surprisingly good, and Naruto found himself failing miserably at the game.

"I give up!" the blond gasped. Defeated, Naruto dropped his head down, resting his forehead against the top of the bar. Besides him, he could hear the professor laughing.

"This was not how I intended my night to go," Naruto whined into the wood. He could taste the stale leftovers of spilt liquor and disinfectant as his lips pressed into the top. To keep from gagging, he twisted his head to the side, sending wisps of sunflower yellow hair into his eyes.

"The night is still young!" the professor guffawed, clapping his hand hard on Naruto's left shoulder. There was the sound of coins dancing along the counter, echoing through the wood. With a rough shriek, the stool was scraped back along the floor. "Now, if you'll excuse us, it's time we were off to better things. Merry Christmas, boys!"

"Ah, same to you!" Naruto mumbled from the bar's top. His cheek felt swollen when he talked, though he knew it was just because of the weight resting against it. Why did the human head have to weigh so damn much?

With an aggravated moan, he watched as the two elder men slipped out the door. It was still snowing outside, the silvery flakes coming down fast. Adding yet another inch of white on white. Everything outside was white. And cold. Thinking on the whole scene sent a shiver spilling down his spine.

"Ne, Kiba?" Blue eyes shifted over to the young man. A stray thought, alcohol induced, entered his mind. Why he didn't see Kiba more often? Outside of the bar and weekend parties, they rarely ever crossed paths. Didn't they have three classes together? Or was it two? Maybe it was more than that.

"Already there," the bartender replied, setting a glass of water next to the fourth rum and Coke of the night. "Now get up. I know you aren't that drunk yet!"

"Mmmm…I wasn't going to ask that," Naruto mumbled. It was Christmas, so they didn't have classes together any more. That's why. Ha! Brain trying to fool him. He always figured it out eventually. "And I know I'm not that drunk. I can still feel the cold from the door."

"Hey, you know we're closing in an hour, right?" Kiba called to the front of the bar.

There was a brief rustle of movement, bells chiming as the door was shut. "That's still an hour I have, right?"

The voice was cool, yet Naruto could sense the fire beneath the words. Bubbling quietly beneath the stolid rock surface of control. Lifting his head from the bar, he glanced over at the young man pulling off the coal-black coat wrapped around his form. He knew this kid. Not from any classes they had had together, nor even any parties. As far as he knew Uchiha Sasuke didn't party. But it didn't stop the entire campus from knowing who he was.


	2. Chapter 2

How to describe Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto didn't know that much about the boy in all honesty. Golden child of the Architecture Department, he had a reputation for never failing, and consequently was ranked first in his major. With the way people talked about the kid, Naruto wouldn't have been surprised if he was the top student in their entire graduating class. Which was a stark contrast to his own reputation. Not that he didn't try, but working two jobs just to put himself through school didn't exactly make passing with high marks a top priority. It was enough that he was going to graduate.

He found that slightly annoying about the guy, how everything just seemed to come easy to him. Everyone loved him, the beloved son of the Uchiha family. Practically military royalty as far as the country was concerned. His older brother Itachi was a legend on the campus, a so-called genius and party-boy extraordinaire. Though there was that rumor that his idea of 'fun' had a rather cruel twist to it. However, most people seemed reluctant to talk about that matter. Either way, the guy was still worshipped as a god among all.

And if that didn't make matters worse for Naruto, Sasuke topped his brother as far as looks were concerned. Now, Itachi was a good-looking kid, sharp-eyed and alluring in that mysteriously dangerous sort of way. Naruto had to agree with that. Heck, even Kiba said he'd screw the guy, and Kiba was as straight as they came. But for some reason, Naruto hated to admit that Sasuke was even better looking. As far as he was concerned, the youngest Uchiha was delicate and moody to a fault. Yet, every girl on campus was taken with him – even if they never admitted it to anyone. He could tell. Mention Uchiha Sasuke in a crowded room, and every girl would flush holly berry red.

So, when Sasuke grabbed a seat at the farthest end of the bar and ordered up three shots of Southern Comfort, Naruto couldn't resist taking a jab at the kid he'd grown to dislike simply through idle chatter and the constant doting of the female population.

"Now, there's something I wouldn't have expected," the blond called down to the other end, a viciously taunting smile tugging at his lips. "Are you sure you wouldn't prefer a Cosmo or maybe Sex on the Beach?"

Kiba smirked as he distributed the light brown liquid between three crystal clear shot glasses. Then damn near laughed as the girls from the pool table immediately rallied by the Uchiha prodigy's side. Leave it to Naruto to call the female populace to arms rather than successfully wooing their members.

Sasuke stiffened up, back rigid and fingers laced tightly together before him on the bar. He hated the comment, but hated the girls even more. Always hounding him with their worthless comments. How they supposedly loved him, adored him, would do anything for him. They didn't even know him! Just his family name, his reputation. And the harder he tried to shove them away, the harder they tried to claim him for their own. Like he was something that could be won with desire alone.

This was not how he had intended his Christmas Eve to go. Without acknowledging Naruto's comment, Sasuke picked up the first shot and downed it.

"Oh, I know what you would like," Naruto prodded, "Sex with the Bartender! Now that seems to be more like your taste. It's easy to swallow and has just enough bite to make you enjoy it. Wouldn't you agree, Kiba?"

Kiba really had nothing against Sasuke. The kid was talented, but definitely had some issues he needed to work through. And he sure as hell didn't want to piss off his groupies. The wrath of women aside, they were still customers, and he was still working. However, he wasn't about to leave Naruto without a leg to stand on. After all, best friends didn't bail you out, they went down with you.

"Real tasty. As long as you're the one bartending feel free to serve it to him as often as you'd like." Best friends might take the fall with you, but it wouldn't stop them from kicking you on the way down.

"Hey, quit it, you two! _Especially_ you, Naruto. Sasuke hasn't done anything to you," Ino snapped as she sidled closer to the dark-haired prodigy. 

Close to her elbow, another girl, who Naruto was certain was called Sakura, jostled for an even closer position. "Yeah, Naruto! Quit being a jerk. It's Christmas, isn't it? Even you should be able to muster up some decency for that!"

With a scowl, Naruto swiveled around on his bar stool, began to nurse his drink with curses treading under his breath. He bit miserably at the straw Kiba had tossed into the liquid, small indentations rendering the utensil pretty much useless. It was bad enough they had refused to sit with him earlier, but to rush to that prick's defense like their lives depended on it?

Maybe Kiba was right, there was no such thing as luck in his life. Sasuke hadn't even said thank you to the girls. Too busy mumbling to himself over his misfortune, Naruto failed to catch the muttered _Annoying_ from Sasuke's lips before he swallowed the second shot.

"Hey, Naruto! Don't just turn away. Apologize!" Sakura again. He could have sworn she was a polite girl, that never-do-wrong pride-of-her-parents sort of girl. Rather smart to boot, now that he recalled. Definitely not the type to demand apologies from guys she barely knew in a bar on Christmas Eve. But, he'd never been very…alert when it came to women.

However, before Naruto could respond - no male with a half decent sense of self would let a command like that slide - Sasuke sat up with a growl. "I don't need a bunch of drunken whores to get apologies for me! If I wanted that from a low-class loser, I'd have gotten it myself! Now leave me alone!"

"Whoa, whoa! 'Low-class loser'? Sorry I'm not some son of the Uchiha family or brother to a campus legend. But what fucking right do you have to judge me?" Naruto snapped back, suddenly forgetting the girls, who were so taken aback by the object of their worship that they'd stepped back a good five feet from his stool, and the rather astonished Kiba.

"I could say the same to you! I wasn't even in here five minutes before you started on me!" Sasuke returned heatedly.

One of the girls stirred, took a step towards the bar. Neither Naruto nor Sasuke moved, each tangled up in the other's glare. Neither willing to back down. "Hey, c'mon you two. It's Christmas."

"Naruto just leave Sasuke alone. You're the one who started this."

"Dammit," Naruto snarled. With one last hard look thrown at Sasuke, Naruto turned back to his drink, swallowed the rest of it in three large gulps. Down at the other end of the bar, he could once again hear the girls murmuring with concern around the Architecture major. The bastard could push them into a lake of scorn, and they'd drown in worry over him.

"Want another drink?" Kiba whispered as he leaned over the bar, one hand settling on the edge of Naruto's shoulder.

The blond stared back at his best friend, the blue of his eyes swimming in a volatile mix of anger and hurt. After giving a sullen nod, Naruto set his forehead against the bar's top. He lifted his head up slightly, then banged it down against the wood. Once. Twice. Three times was indeed a charm. He could feel the headache knocking on the back of his skull.

From the opposite end, a stool scraped along the ground, the sound ricocheting through the wooden top of the bar and into Naruto's head. He groaned miserably, turned his head to the side. Unable to stand the sound any longer - he swore it had gotten closer – the blond picked up his head just as Sasuke was settling into the seat beside him.

"Want an apology now?" Naruto asked with searing sarcasm.

Sasuke glanced over, dark eyes simmering with indignation and irritation. "No. They," he gave a toss towards the pool tables, "don't seem to go near you."

"Glad to be of service," the Sociology major muttered in return.

Not wanting to maintain eye contact with him, Naruto gazed over in the direction indicated by the dark-haired boy, saw that the girls had not returned to the pool table as he had thought. Instead, they were standing rather perplexed around the seat Sasuke had just vacated. There was a brief huddle, glossy lips moving in rapid answer to one comment or another, then all fell silent. Naruto knew female determination when he saw it. 

"But apparently, even I'm not enough of a deterrent," Naruto said, not without some amusement. "Curse your genes, not me for this."

"I do," Sasuke answered dryly. He gave one more glance towards Naruto, the look in his eyes toeing the edge of despair before hardening over once again. As though preparing himself for the final assault of a losing battle, the Architecture prodigy picked up the third shot glass and poured the golden contents down his throat.

He wasn't sure what it was – whether that wry admission that could be taken any number of ways or the constant torment of unwanted attention – but Naruto felt a twinge of understanding. Not that it reconciled Sasuke's actions from earlier or made him regret his own words. There was truth sitting behind some of them. But, Naruto knew all too well the feeling of having eyes glued onto his every action, following him relentlessly. Though for him, it was that wanting to see just how badly he would screw up. It had nothing to do with admiration.

"Uzumaki, go bartend or something. You _do_ work here, don't you?" Ino demanded, because it sure as hell wasn't a question with any room for no answer. She stood directly behind him, arms crossed, lips a tight line of dissatisfaction over the current situation.

Naruto looked under his arm, caught the single-minded glare boring into his back, imagined some of the others wore a similar look. He shifted his gaze to the young man besides him. Three fingers raised, indicating another round of shots to be set before him, Sasuke seemed rather disinterested in the whole affair.

For a moment, Naruto was reluctant to let anything slip past his lips. Let the brat fight his own battles. Then he watched as Sasuke threw the fourth shot into his mouth, watched the liquid pulse down his throat as he swallowed. Could've sworn he sighed bitterly as the liquor scorched its way down.

"No can do, Ino." He spun around on his stool, placing his hands on his knees as he leaned back against the bar. A wide grin pulled his lips slightly apart, and for a good minute he simply sat there smiling at the less-than-amused girls.

"Yeah, I do work here, and we're about to close. And if I'm not mistaken, I doubt your father would like to know you've spent your Christmas Eve trying to seduce a frozen bitch of a boy in the only open bar in town. In fact, I'm guessing you blew off that big party your parents always throw with those friends of theirs for this. But I'd be more than happy to escort you home to tell him. With you dressed like some five-dollar hooker, I'm sure he'd like that. After all, you are daddy's girl, aren't you?"

One down. And the effect seemed to work because the blond Psychology major simply stood there completely confused. It wasn't every day Naruto went off on someone though.

"Annnnd, you Sakura. I'm guessing you blew off said party as well because let's face it, you probably can't let Ino do something without being there to show her up. Now, you aren't dressed like you're fit to work the corner, but I do think mom and dad will be upset that you snuck out like that. I love it how you people always seem to want to escape from home, even though it's Christmas as you've pointed out to me this evening."

Naruto wasn't about to let Sakura off of the hook for blasting him earlier. So much for the polite princess of the Haruno's. Still, he actually felt a little bad about talking to her like that. She _had_ tolerated him better than the others of that clique had. Except for the last one who had shown up tonight. But Hinata never really said much of anything either way.

"Hinata. You actually haven't done a damn thing all night except follow these two blind worshippers around. But friends are friends, huh? I just don't want that cousin of yours showing up on my doorstep in the morning. God knows, Neiji will try to kick my ass for not sending you home the minute you stepped into this place."

And that was true. Hyuuga Neiji had already tried to kick his ass once when he failed to send his favorite little cousin back home when she had stepped into the place on her twenty-first. Apparently, a college bar – and that's essentially what Top of the Stairs was for only college kids seemed to visit it- was not the place someone from the Hyuuga family should spend their birthday. Even if it was their twenty-first. Then again, maybe it was just Neiji. He didn't come across as a guy who would drink excessively. Or even drink at all now that Naruto thought about it.

Satisfied with his defiant stand, the blond took the latest offering of rum and Coke from Kiba and simply sat there drinking. Waiting for the girls to accept his position on the matter and leave. After all, if you had family on Christmas, you should spend it with them. At least, that's what he thought. Wasn't the damn holiday all about that anyways? Which led him to his next question: What was someone like Uchiha Sasuke doing alone on Christmas?


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note**: Well, Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it, and a continued Happy Holidays to everyone else! This part turned out _a lot_ longer than I anticipated, and as such, Part 4 will have to wait so I can get some sleep. And again, sorry for the characterizations, but this time I can blame alcohol (much like Sasuke) as I'm been drinking Kir Royales all night.

* * *

A spell of silence wove its way over the college crowd, only the muffled tones of the post-game show playing and the occasional car sloshing along the road in the background. Sasuke downed another shot and muttered something unintelligible to himself, though Naruto was fairly certain it wasn't a word of thanks. 

Before him, the girls shifted nervously, Sakura and Ino obviously upset over the blond's comments. Faces pale despite the flush on their cheeks, eyes sparking with outrage. But they said nothing, and he knew it was because he had been right, which shocked him. Apparently all those years spent studying the politics of human behavior had paid off.

He did feel bad though when his gaze found Hinata huddled behind the other two, her eyes on the floor and face red like the leaves of a poinsettia. Quickly diverting his attention to Kiba's rustlings behind the bar, Naruto tried to push the image from his mind. Sure, he felt awful for lumping her in with the others, but the last thing he wanted was to have a stand off with Neiji Christmas morning.

"Naruto's right about one thing. We're about to close, so if you ladies wouldn't mind heading out soon, I'd appreciate it," Kiba called out from below the bar where he was rummaging around for one thing or another.

Hinata was the first to turn about and gather her coat. Still plagued by guilt, Naruto slid off of his seat and jogged to the door. With an apologetic smile, he opened it, murmured a soft _I'm sorry_ as she stepped out into the cold, which only made her cheeks burn all the more fiercely.

However, when Ino and Sakura filed out past him, he simply turned his gaze back inside where Sasuke was finishing off the sixth shot. Probably wasn't the smartest move to make, diverting his attention as two very pissed-off females walked past the source of their malcontent. He wasn't sure which of them did it, but before they both moved outside, a loud slap rang against the side of his head, causing him to yowl out with the pain. Not that it really hurt all that badly, but coupled with the alcohol swimming around in his head, it felt like being pelted with a large boulder.

"Merry Christmas to you too!" he called out as they made their way down the steps and out onto the sidewalk.

There was a splatter of muttering tossed in his direction and what looked like Ino flipping him off through the snow. Before he pulled shut the door, the church bell rang twelve times, the sound reverberating through the grey-sky night with a deeply joyous cry. Yeah, this was exactly how he had wanted to greet Christmas.

"I suppose I deserved that," Naruto laughed somewhat embarrassedly as he walked back to the bar. He ran his hand through his hair, knocking the fresh collection of snow there onto the floor and bar top.

"You're making a mess," Sasuke mumbled, dark eyes shifting over to the blond, an annoyed scowl playing about his mouth.

"Fuck you. It'll melt. And if it bothers you that much, I'll help Kiba clean it," the Sociology major bit back.

"Don't bother. I'm leaving."

"Like hell you are! In another twenty minutes or so, those last three shots are gonna hit you like a cement truck."

"I don't need your help," Sasuke growled as he turned in his seat, bringing the blond into full view. He was already feeling the alcohol though, that pleasant desire to sleep suddenly creeping up from the back of his skull. With a good shake of his head, black strands of hair whipping around and settling back into that confined disarray it had worn all night, the youngest Uchiha regained control over his senses.

"Maybe not, but you're getting it anyways. So just sit there," Naruto commanded, pushing the dark-haired Architecture major back into his seat. "I'll walk you home once I finish helping Kiba. Might as well enjoy another drink while you're at it."

"I don't need your fucking charity!" Sasuke yelled, suddenly brought his voice back down to a whisper as the next thought hit him. Eyes narrowing into fine slits that made him appear angrier than he actually felt, he asked, "Who the hell are you anyways?"

"Eh?" the blond uttered, completely taken aback by the one hundred-eighty degree change in attitude. Now, he knew he was feeling somewhat drunk at the moment, but Uchiha Sasuke must have just fallen into it headlong. "Me? I'm Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto. I work here on most nights."

"Well, I don't usually come here," the Architecture prodigy said, more to himself than to Naruto. He sighed, turned back around in his seat and set his hands on top of the bar. "How long is it going to take you?"

Naruto stared at Sasuke for a good minute before moving to answer. With a chuckle, he hefted himself onto the top of the bar, swinging his legs over to the other side and landing with a solid thud on the rubber mats. "To close? At least an hour or two to clean up the place."

"Which I'll be taking care of," Kiba stated, grabbing the broom before Naruto could nab it. "You're tipsy, and with your habit of breaking things in this place when you're _not_ drunk, I'd rather do it. Just watch him."

With a kick of his head in Sasuke's direction, the bartender swept past Naruto, made his way towards the tables behind the bar while humming random Christmas tunes to himself. He'd be damned if he was going to let the blond handle anything on the cleaning front. If he made it through the next hour or so without breaking any of the barware, he was going to consider it a very successful night.

"I don't want to wait an hour."

"And where exactly are you going to go?" Naruto asked, pulling out four shot glasses and setting them in front of Sasuke.

The dark-haired Architecture major eyed the glasses warily. Already he could feel the last three shots of Southern Comfort boiling in his stomach, threatening to revolt should any other liquor accompany them. "I'm not drinking another four shots."

"You're not. We're splitting them."

"I can't."

"I'll walk you home. Live a little, Uchiha!" Staring out at the selection of liquor before him, Naruto began running his fingers over the bottles. Carefully contemplating the best choice for the situation. "You like peach-flavored stuff?"

Sasuke watched the off-duty bartender with a sense of impending doom. He had the vague feeling that listening to the blond was going to kill off more brain cells than the alcohol he had consumed. And yet, at that moment, he just couldn't find it in him to care. "Huh?"

"Southern Comfort kind of has this peachy undertone to it. Here! We'll go with this. It's not as potent and goes down really easily," the Sociology major explained as he pulled a bottle of peach schnapps from the shelf. "It's more like drinking candy than liquor. Think of it as dessert!"

Despite the alcohol clouding his system, Naruto expertly filled the four shot glasses, spilling only few drops of the clear liquid in between each one. He pinched the nearest glass between his thumb and index finger, pulling it to the edge of the bar. "There is one thing I'd like to know."

"What's that?" Sasuke questioned as he reached from the second shot in line. Stared down at the water-like liquid, which seemed to undulate within its container as though announcing its true nature in the subtlest way possible. That or he was seriously beginning to lose control over his vision.

"What's someone like you doing alone on Christmas?"

The youngest Uchiha's head snapped up, eyes suddenly clear as they alighted upon Naruto's figure. It was unexpected, only in the fact that he hadn't taken Naruto for someone to care about his reasons for being there. And he disliked that fact that he could misjudge someone like that, proving himself wrong when he was always so certain.

"What do you care?" Sasuke asked coldly.

Naruto shrugged. "I don't really. It just seems odd considering you have a family. A rather famous one at that."

A wave of silence washed over them. Each of the boys drew the first shot of peach schnapps to their mouths, eyes locked on the other. With a flick of the wrist, the clear contents disappeared down their throats.

Sasuke still didn't answer. Instead, he turned his gaze to the bar's wooden top, dark eyes carefully tracing the patterns in the wood with mathematic precision. He could almost make out a logic behind the deep brown swirls. Almost. As soon as his mind reached for the answer, it sunk once more into the depths, frustrating him. He should never have come here.

"I'm just saying," Naruto continued, "that it's odd. I don't have a family. Just me. So I have an excuse for spending my Christmas Eve in a bar. But you…you have everything."

"I don't..." Sasuke snarled defensively, "…have _everything_. You have no idea what it's like."

"What what is like?"

"I'm not going to spend my Christmas break at Itachi's." And it was out before he could stop it. Sasuke decided at that moment that alcohol was the worst thing invented by mankind.

"Your brother? He's a legend! I bet he's throwing a rocking Christmas party right now…"

Without warning, Sasuke began to laugh. That sort of laugh that has nothing to do with amusement or joy and everything to do with disbelief, that knowing more than most knew. "You have no idea what Itachi is like."

"Well, no. But I do know what people say about him," Naruto countered, somewhat offended that Itachi's own brother would call his character into question. Sure, there were those rumors surrounding the guy, but at the same time, no one denied that he was a genius. He was the campus god.

"He's not like that. Not really," the Architecture major said, his voice low, full of hidden understanding.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably, thrown off by the sudden darkening of Sasuke's eyes. It was like staring into a pool of melted onyx. No way out. Only an endless ocean of black thought. Clearing his throat, he reached for the next shot of schnapps, held the glass in his hand.

There was something troubling about the way the dark-haired prodigy appeared now. Somewhat worn, and yet nursing a world of anger. Tired and yet unable to give up.

"You know, my dad probably used the weapons your father designed." An attempt to change the subject.

"Why's that?" Sasuke asked, eyes still transfixed on the wood before him. Only this time they weren't seeing, his gaze lost in some other plane of existence that only he seemed capable of accessing. It was one of the most alienating things Naruto had ever witnessed, and he had been alienated in almost every way possible throughout his life.

With a cough, the blond sought to clear the air around them. Hoping the sound would somehow draw the Architecture major back into the present. "He uhh…he was a soldier. Pretty damn good too from what I heard about him. Back when I was sixteen, his commanding officer found me. Some guy named Jiraiya. Crazy ass bastard too…" he laughed.

That had been an interesting experience for him. Recalling the day nearly sent him into a fit of laughter, that kind that was tainted by tears because it dragged up a line of hurt in its wake. "First time I was ever taken to a strip club. Not quite sure how he pulled that off…"

Sasuke looked up now, the black clouds of memory dissipating as he began to focus on the words coming from Naruto. It was a bit nerve-wracking though, listening to this story. For some reason, he got the feeling it wasn't something easily told. And the only way Sasuke could explain it to himself was the alcohol. At least it was the only comforting explanation he could find.

"Gave me his dog tags then along with my first lap dance," the Sociology senior said, the hints of a sadly nostalgic smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He laughed it off though, the smile brightening into a full-on grin. "He told me my dad was a hero. Apparently gave his life to save his own men. Even that old pervert's life. Not a bad way to go, huh?"

But Sasuke could see behind the grin, could see the deep-rooted pain that dug further down with every passing day. It lingered in his eyes, even has his face displayed the purest smile he had ever seen. He found himself unable to keep his eyes on the blond, finding it too painful. And that angered him, though he couldn't strike back. Couldn't give his anger room to run. With a huff, Sasuke grabbed the last shot glass standing and poured the contents over his tongue.

* * *

Two hours later, Uchiha Sasuke found that he could barely see straight. The image of Naruto danced before him, pieces of his body blurring into the multi-colored Christmas lights which now glowed three times their size. 

Naruto wasn't fairing much better, though the Architecture major sat clearly before him in one piece. Obviously though, he had a higher tolerance than Sasuke, whose slight frame and reputation betrayed him in the realm of alcohol. He'd probably never even played a game of beer pong in his life, a thought that suddenly sent Naruto into giggles.

"What's…so…damn…funny?" Sasuke asked, his words thick and slower than rubber cement being poured from a jar. He lifted his head from the bar, stared out at the blond in a drunken haze.

"How often do you drink?"

"I don't…usually," the dark-haired prodigy muttered, trying vainly to blink Naruto into one person and not two. "Itachi makes me though…"

"Your brother?"

"That's his name, isn't it?" Sasuke scowled. "Always gets me into these damn drinking matches with him when my parents aren't around. Like I'm some sort of disappointment because I'm not like he was in college…Like he can turn me into him."

Naruto frowned, dipping his head down to stare Sasuke straight in the eyes. "Should I not have made you drink then?"

The Architecture major scoffed. He hated concern, which he lumped together with pity and every other emotion that implied he wasn't good enough. People were always worrying over him. Over whether he could live up to his family's name. "It's what I chose to do."

Lips were draw taunt, the color seeping out the center portion and staining the outer edges an even darker red. Sasuke shifted his head, lifting it a tad higher to better focus his sight on the blond's face, which was slowly starting to come into focus once again. His facial features relaxed a little now that he could better see the world around him, and Sasuke let loose a low sigh of relief. As far as he could tell, the Sociology senior had already forgotten about those last few shots.

Naruto leaned in closer, the tip of his nose brushing against a few stray strands of black hair. "You really are cute."

"What?" Sasuke squeaked out in surprise, jumping back from the bar and nearly toppling back over his bar stool. Maybe Naruto had forgotten those last few shots, but his mind sure as hell hadn't.

"I said you're cute."

Spoken like there was nothing more to it. Nothing weird about it. A plain and simple fact. What happened to the former loathing? Even the melancholic remembering was better than this.

"Oi! Uzumaki, take your drinking buddy and get the hell out of here. Don't care if you drop his ass out in the snow, but I'm closing up!" Kiba called out from the pool tables, where he was gathering the last of the rogue pool balls.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go pretty boy," Naruto snickered as he began walking towards the door. He pulled Sasuke's coat down and tossed it at him, laughing as the Architecture major scrambled to catch it in his drunken state. Nothing like the coolly poised boy that had first walked into the bar.

After pulling on his own coat, the blond turned to the back of the bar where Kiba was shutting off the various Christmas lights around the place. "Yo, Kiba, you going to be ok if we leave?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that, you fucking drunk!"

"Maybe. Though I'm not as bad as genius boy here!" Naruto laughed, grabbing Sasuke by the arm and pulling him to the door. The dark-haired prodigy growled, threw off the blond's grasp with a sharp jerk of his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just have to shut off a few more things and lock up," Kiba said with a grin as he watched the two at the door. Waiting for one of them to tumble out into the snow.

"Have a good Christmas then, Kiba! Try not to get yourself killed before next semester," The Sociology senior flashed a wide grin, then tossed Sasuke out the door he now held open.

"That goes double for you! Merry Christmas, Uzumaki!"

Before shutting the door completely behind him, Naruto stuck his head back inside. "Oh and Kiba, thank your sister for me. The other night was great!"

"Fuck you!" Kiba called out as the door slammed shut.

Outside, the snow was still falling. Thick white flakes spilling down from the clouds, creating a cushiony covering all over the streets and sidewalks. Naruto jogged ahead, kicking up the powder with every other step. Suddenly, he stopped and howled into the night with reckless joy.

A good ten feet behind, Sasuke ducked down within the confines of his coat, letting his breath hit the noir material to create a warm but foggy breathing space. "It's almost two in the morning. Stop screaming, dumbass."

"Doesn't it feel great though, Sasuke? Best thing about drinking in winter. Heats you up and makes the cold feel fantastic!"

At that moment though, Sasuke could have cared less about the cold. His head was starting to throb, but not hard enough to displace the delightful haze brought about by the alcohol. Instead, he was caught between a mix of knowing what was going to come and trying to enjoy the moment.

The Architecture major shifted his eyes towards the blond, who was grinning a fool's grin back at him. That stupidly joyful sort of grin that found the smallest things in life amazing. "C'mon! Don't you just want to yell out? It's Christmas!"

Sasuke stared out from his coat, dark eyes searching the streets and finding them relatively empty. A few people were scuttling across the snow, slipping occasionally, as they made their way to their cars from one neighborhood party or another. He stopped, swaying slightly, and had to close his eyes as the world began to swirl. Felt like he was sitting at the center of a spinning top.

"MERRY CHIRSTMAS FROM UZUMAKI NARUTO! DON'T YOU FORGET IT!"

"You have got to be kidding me," Sasuke muttered as the shout penetrated his mind. Eyes flew open, located Naruto hanging off of one of the lampposts, one hand pumping in the air as laughter poured out from his mouth. Idiocy had no limits it seemed.

The blond jumped down as some old woman screamed at him from one of the apartments above. Racing over to Sasuke, nearly sliding out of control as he did so, Naruto reached out and pulled the dark-haired prodigy to his side. "You kill everything, you know that," he teased.

With an irritated scowl, Sasuke tried to pull himself away only to find his footing give way, leaving him hanging onto the blond like his life depended on it. Forget Naruto. Forget alcohol. He hated snow more than anything at this moment. So caught up in his anger, he failed to noticed Naruto dragging him back upright and linking their arms with a loud burst of laughter.

"I really hate this place," the Architecture major muttered. Why the hell had he come out here in the first place? The answer eluded him for a moment, and desperate for it, he walked quietly beside Naruto until it came to him. It was all Itachi's fault. His father just had to designate that house as their holiday base for this year.

"Come on now, it's Christmas," Naruto coaxed, suddenly concerned that his drinking buddy and foe of the night was progressing towards the negative end of the Christmas cheer spectrum. Oddly though, the thought of Uchiha Sasuke as the Grinch came across as something entirely plausible. At least with the way things were going now. "Ah, I live here! Let's go."

"I have my own place," Sasuke stated stubbornly.

"Do you want to go there?"

For a moment, Sasuke imagined his apartment. Dark and flawless in its set-up, where surely his mother had left six or seven messages on his answering machine. Had probably gotten both his father and brother to leave one as well, though neither of them would beg him to join the family for the holidays. Theirs would be a cold mix of disappointment and arrogance. "Not particularly."

Without warning, Naruto pushed him against the wall. He could feel the coolness of the bricks crawling through the material, seeking out his skin. Wide-eyed with surprise, Sasuke stared into the deep blues examining his face.

"Good," the blond whispered. He leaned in, frozen fingers closing in around the prodigy's arms, and pressed his mouth to Sasuke's. Naruto's eyes remained locked on his, searching them quickly, before he shut out the sight of confusion and fear completely. Any minute now, he was going to get hit.

But Sasuke simply stood there, plastered against the wall as the snow settled along their bodies, fell into their hair. He couldn't shut his eyes though, still completely bewildered by the whole situation. Yet Naruto was hot, his lips sending a new pulse of heat through his body that seemed to warm him from the inside out.

And the alcohol in his system wasn't helping his logic any. Even as he could taste it in their kiss, reminding him that they were both fairly drunk, it urged him to accept this, playing upon unconscious strands of thought that found comfort in the whole situation, in Naruto's presence. When the blond pulled away, Sasuke gasped at the sudden return of air to his lungs, which was so cold he could feel it biting at the delicate cellular lining as it filled them.

"We're on the street," he hissed, dark eyes glaring at Naruto. Embarrassment masked as fury.

"Afraid someone from your fan club might see?" the blond teased, pushing in closer once more so that his lips brushed against the other's cheek. Unable to touch upon Sasuke's mouth because the Architecture major had quickly turned his head to the side to avoid the risk.

Sasuke growled deep within his throat. Annoyed at himself for having been caught like that, for having gotten himself into the situation in the first place. "I don't care about them…"

And that's when it hit him. It wasn't _Why are you kissing me_. It had been_ We're on the street_. Sasuke could feel the heat rising from his core to his cheeks.

"Mmmm…." Naruto purred, gently nuzzling the exposed portion of Sasuke's neck, lips drawing back into a mischief-soaked smile. "You're even cuter when you blush."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note**: This part turned out way, way, way longer than I was expecting. I start with one idea and the boys take off running in another direction. So, anyway, here's part 4. But **BE WARNED:** This part has stripping and sex. Haha, think of this sort of like a "bonus" chapter. Expect an epilogue sometime soon. And again, I completely apologize for the characterizations, which I fear I butchered somewhat this go around.

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto's apartment was everything Sasuke had expected and everything he never wanted to see. Clothes lay scattered over every possible piece of furniture, shirts draping over chairs, pants lounging along the couch. Even piled on top of the tiny table Sasuke figured was some sort of excuse for a dining piece. Glancing into the kitchen brought a whole new world of mess into his view. What appeared to be at least a week's worth of pizza boxes stacked along the counters with empty ramen cups filling the cracks between them.

"Don't you ever clean this place?" the Architecture major muttered into Naruto's ear. He was still leaning against the blond, one arm wrapped around his shoulders, as they stumbled further into the apartment.

"Huh?" Naruto replied distractedly. Bright blues eyes scanned the room before him, darted over the cluttered couch and chairs, and finally settled on the sliver of wall that signaled the end of the kitchen and the start of the living area. "Can you lean against here?"

Sasuke twisted his head to the side, gave one scoffing huff as he pulled himself away from the blond and stood. Well, tottered was more like it, but with every passing minute he could feel the alcohol in his system burning off, sights and sounds becoming sharper and more distinct.

With his motor skills under some semblance of control, the dark-haired prodigy turned himself about and fell against the wall with a dull smack. Lips pulled apart slightly as a puff of air fled past. A low sigh of relief that made Naruto grin. Slowly, Sasuke slid himself to the ground, set his head against the wall, and shut his eyes.

Behind him, he could hear Naruto rummaging through the refrigerator. A moment later, the blond appeared with two plastic bottles in hand, each containing an unnaturally bright liquid.

"Drink this," he said, handing one of the plastic containers to him. The contents looked dark, nearly black in the lack of lighting. When Sasuke failed to accept the offering, he tossed it at him. "It's grape."

As if that explained everything. "Grape what?" Sasuke demanded, eyeing the cool bottle now sitting in his lap.

"Gatorade. Trust me, you'll feel a hell of a lot better in the morning if you drink it."

Twisting open his own bottle of orange-flavored sports drink, Naruto tossed the black cap into the trash, or what Sasuke assumed was the trash. Given the state of the apartment, the Sociology major could have been tossing the damn thing onto the floor for all he knew.

"Sorry it's such a mess," Naruto tried to explain, a sheepish grin playing upon his lips. "I normally clean it if I'm expecting people, but well…you were unexpected."

"How do you live in such a place?" Sasuke turned his gaze upward, caught the tail end of a shrug before Naruto's shoulders settled back into place. Another long swig of Gatorade was taken, the action only irritating the Architecture major. With a click of his tongue, he turned to his own bottle and tore off the cap.

The blond stared down at Sasuke, mouth still entertaining the remnants of a smile. "I just don't spend that much time here. Sleep, eat, if that."

"Then shouldn't this place be spotless?" It made perfect sense to Sasuke. He barely spent time in his own apartment. Like most architecture students, once the semester was in full swing, he spent most of his time in one of the studios or holed up in the department's library. Working endlessly on one project or another through most of the night.

"Don't worry. The bedroom's pretty much spotless. I barely make it there most nights. That's why the living room looks so bad," Naruto laughed. Which was entirely true. By the time he got back from the bar, he usually only had enough energy in him to strip down and pass out on the couch. Sometimes even the chair, which was closest to the door. And there was the one time he had curled up on the table…

Sasuke made a small grunting noise, indicating he no longer really cared about the subject, then quietly began nursing his sports drink. One small sip after another. Contemplating some fact or scenario or memory. Naruto couldn't really tell, not that it mattered.

"I've gotta take a piss." Tilting his head back, the blond chugged the rest of his Gatorade. With a satisfied sigh, he tossed the bottle in the same direction the cap had traveled.

Sasuke watched, somewhat bemused now by the whole situation, as the plastic container sailed into the air and disappeared around the corner. Cautiously, he began to shimmy himself up the wall, one hand clenching the half-finished bottle while the other steadied himself against the smooth white surface.

Dark eyes followed Naruto as he stepped around him, then slipped down the shadow-stained hallway. There was a metallic click as the door to the bathroom was shut followed by the struggling whir of the lightning as it flickered into life.

Making sure he was as steady as he felt, the Architecture major began to pursue the blond down the hall. Fingers were dragged along the wall with each step, swerving up and down over the paint. Sasuke wasn't quite sure why he decided to take off after him. Probably would have been much smarter to sit on the floor and sleep this whole night off. Then again, there wasn't a whole lot that he could explain about the night.

When Naruto opened the door, it was to find Sasuke staring into his bottle, mesmerized by the sloshing of its purple contents. Black fangs of hair curved over his face, carving into his delicate features with careless strokes. It reminded him of the moment he had first heard Sasuke's voice that night, telling him that beneath the coldly constructed exterior lay a world of hellfire. Scorching and consuming. And that beneath that was an overwhelming loneliness.

Naruto slipped his hand along the prodigy's jaw, the tips of calloused fingers brushing up along the pale expanse of skin, splaying out over his cheek. It amazed him, how smooth the young man's skin was. Unmarred by the sun and wind. Reminding him yet again how different their lives were. Reminded him, painfully, of why he had always disliked Uchiha Sasuke.

Startled, Sasuke stared up at him, dark eyes once again wide. Fingers carefully capped the bottle, reason urging them into motion though he was unaware of its presence. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was certain he was going to drop the container.

"You really are cute," Naruto stated, this time a small tremor of wonder shaking his voice. Then it was gone, lips curving into a smile born of confident mischief, blue eyes sparking with re-found intent.

"And you're drunk. Now, get off of me."

"No."

"Get…off," the Architecture major repeated. He had meant to sound more menacing than he had, but there was some part of him that was preventing his bite from exhibiting the full-extent of its poisonous ability. Or maybe it was still the alcohol. He was finding that its effects were fading in and out now. One minute fully clouding his thoughts, the next leaving him as clear-headed as he had been before stepping into the bar that night.

"Oh, I will," Naruto teased, pressing himself closer.

"I thought you were attracted to women."

"I'm attracted to you."

"Is that you or the alcohol talking?" And as soon as those words had left his mouth, Sasuke cringed. Yet again betrayed by his own self, and he simply couldn't understand why.

"Mmm…both." The blond grinned, slipped his hands under Sasuke's coat. Slowly, he began to pull it off of his shoulders, inching the thick black material away from that slender form. With a muted thud, the coat fell to the carpet below, the sound drawing even more mischief into Naruto's eyes.

As Naruto's hands began to slip along his shirt, Sasuke found himself straightening up once again, muscles tensing. Waiting for the chance to spring away. A chance, as he began to think about it, he probably wasn't going to get. "What are you doing?"

The blond tilted his head to the side, mouth still curved by a wickedly amused smile. For a moment, he did nothing but stare, eyes dancing over the features of the face before him. A face which no longer displayed confusion or fear, but a resolute need to know. A need to be in control, which unfortunately for Sasuke, Naruto had no intention of handing over.

"Should I stop?" Naruto murmured, settling his lips against the curve of Sasuke's neck. Stamping one heavy kiss before trailing his way upwards. Stopped at the base of Sasuke's ear, delighted that beneath his touch, the Architecture major was as wound up as a ball of string. The bottle cracked against the wall, fell to the ground with a watery thump.

That was a damning question. Either answer would betray some part of his own self. Sasuke shut his eyes, mind whirling as a flurry of potential solutions rained down. Yet nothing satisfied him. Didn't want to give in. Didn't want to walk away. Again, Sasuke began to silently blame the alcohol, which he was entirely certain was the only reason he was finding himself in debate over this matter.

"Well, while you decide what it is you want…" Naruto whispered, "I'll continue to entertain myself."

Work-worn hands pressed against the prodigy's sides, slipped their way around and up along the trail of pearly-white buttons. The look was well suited for the youngest Uchiha. Not quite the avant-garde style of his older brother, which was like a head-on collision between punk-rock and Abercrombie and Fitch. Disordered in that sleekly fashionable sort of way.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was simple. Collected. Just a smoothly tailored dress shirt, white with stripes of navy blue racing down in alternating thin and thick portions. And the jeans he wore were well-fitted, obviously designer, and yet made to look as if they had suffered the abuse any average-working citizen might put them through. Strategic rips and scuff marks decorating the dark blue denim.

Naruto was going to have fun with this. Carefully deconstructing the Architecture major until he sat as human as Naruto knew him to be. That young man with hellfire simmering beneath his gaze and a world of pain driving his every action. There was something terribly enticing about pulling down convention.

"You're going to love me by the end of this."

"Why are you doing this?" Sasuke huffed as the blond popped loose the first button of his shirt.

"Because I'm drunk," Naruto stated. Calloused hands drifted lower, fingers toying with the second button. Relieved that one of its duty. "And because despite the fact that you are an absolute asshole, I'm finding myself liking you."

Sasuke balked at the last sentence, a scowl tearing at his lips even though he was well aware of the fact that he did indeed come across as an asshole more often than not. Though to him, that was his own personal strategy, made it easier to keep people away. Never mind that it rarely seemed to work in his case. People wanted to be near him regardless.

"You think I'm an asshole?" the Architecture major asked callously, dark eyes flashing with indignation. Now that he thought about it, no one had actually called him such to his face before.

"Yep," the blond laughed, then settled his lips against Sasuke's collarbone.

"But…" Naruto murmured in between his kisses, "…there's a reason for that."

The dark-haired prodigy squirmed, still not certain he wanted to be in this situation. As he tried to slip out towards the left, Naruto slammed his hand against the wall, catching the edge of his shirt with his fingers. Effectively, pinning him in place.

"Tch…would you let me go?" Sasuke snarled.

"I don't feel like it," Naruto replied, staring up into Sasuke's face. Unable to help it, he found himself grinning at the hints of rage displayed there, at the Architecture major's frustration.

Sasuke attempted to twist around, found he lacked the needed coordination planning his mind was usually so prompt to give. Thwarted, he growled down at Naruto, who wasn't helping his mind concentrate any better with his nibbling. "What do you know about me?"

With a slow blink and a wide grin, the blond halted his ministrations. Though not without a lazy flick of his tongue against the patch of skin he had been teasing. "Not much, but I _was_ trying to remedy that."

"By getting me naked?" Sasuke, cried, exasperated all of a sudden.

"Hmm…something like that," Naruto purred. "Does it not feel good?"

"What?"

The Sociology major dipped his head down, gently sucked at the tender flesh just beneath the ear. With a light pop, mouth giving up its hold on Sasuke's skin, Naruto brushed his lips against the prodigy's ear. "Does that feel good?"

Naruto's actions sent a shiver rolling down his spine, sent an army of goose bumps crawling over his skin. Sasuke felt his muscles tighten up again, though this time in anticipation, not fear. Against his cheek, he could feel the blond's lips pulling into a smile, one he imagined to be wholly amused by his last reaction. His mouth would say one thing, his body another. And he knew Naruto could tell where the lie was coming from.

"Yes," Sasuke hissed.

"Good," Naruto said as fingers promptly resumed their former task of removing his shirt. One by one, slipping each button free of its material confines. And with every button conquered, Naruto would take a moment to slip a hand over the newly exposed span of skin. Each taunting brush of his fingertips causing Sasuke's muscles of contract and release in steady waves of expectancy.

When he had finished, Naruto set the palms of his hands flat over Sasuke's stomach, carefully began to skate them over his body. The Architecture major was as willowy as he had seemed, though there was a good deal of muscle beneath his skin. Enough to make Naruto believe the dark-haired prodigy could hold his own in a fight.

And he found himself oddly attracted to that fact, that deceptive strength. Uchiha Sasuke was not someone he could simply manhandle, which made their situation all the more curious. Naruto began to laugh, fingers tracing the fine lines of musculature cut across Sasuke's chest and stomach. "If you're built like this, why didn't you try to stop me?"

"Did you think that because I'm some rich kid I just looked nice?" Sasuke muttered, disgruntled by the blond's laughter at finding him unexpectedly toned. "Or that because I'm in the Architecture department, I couldn't defend myself?"

"No, no," Naruto said, voice still tied up by amusement. "It's just, you seemed so pissed off! Why didn't you stop me?"

"I'm drunk, dumbass."

"Well, in that case, I'll stop if you truly want me to. I'm not about to force you," the blond answered, tone dead with seriousness. He gave a light cough, began to pull himself away from Sasuke's body.

But before he could move himself more than a few inches, the Architecture major leaned out and caught the blond with his lips. Pressed his mouth solidly against Naruto's until the surprise wore off and Naruto moved back in.

Sasuke coiled his hand around Naruto's right shoulder and dug his fingers into his hair, twisting the blond locks around his fingertips. When they broke apart, he leaned his forehead against Naruto's, breathlessly whispered, "Don't stop."

Now there was a surprise. The Sociology major hadn't expected that at all from Sasuke. Bright blue eyes blinked a few times as his mind sought to situate them once more. He could feel Sasuke's fingers pressing against the back of his head, could feel the heat of his breath against his lips. Tilting his head up, Naruto caught the tip of the prodigy's nose and settled a light kiss against it.

"Are you sure?"

But no answer came. Only the tightening of his shirt around his neck as Sasuke's fingers collected the navy material and began tugging it up over his back.

"Heh, do you say that to every one you bring back here?" the dark-haired prodigy asked, insolence overriding the joking attempt. Sasuke found he didn't particularly like contemplating Naruto's other partners.

"Say what?" the blond breathed out. Currently too caught up in making his mark upon Sasuke's neck to pay attention to anything else.

He felt a constricting pressure around his chest as Sasuke plucked the front of his shirt away from his skin and twisted it within his hand. "This…"

Reluctantly, the blond shifted his gaze downward, caught the scrunched up letters. What did he wear tonight? Lips moving as he silently began running through his dress routine from earlier, Naruto tried to recall which T-shirt he had pulled from his closet. Navy blue, broad white letters scrawled over the chest. _I'll call. I swear._

He began to laugh despite himself. "Ah…that."

"Well…?" Sasuke pressed. Couldn't stop himself from wanting to know. Even so, slender fingers gripped the edge of the shirt and tugged upwards.

As Naruto let the prodigy start stripping him of the apparently offensive top, he scrambled for an answer. "Eh…well….I've never been in a situation like this. So I haven't exactly used that line…"

Sasuke halted, leaving the upper portion of Naruto's torso trapped within the T-shirt. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, I've umm…never…with someone like you."

Sasuke stared at the blond, not quite certain he wanted to believe that line. Found he had no choice really as the light from the bathroom caught the rising flush spilling along his cheekbones. And as surprising as he found it, Sasuke found the situation even more amusing. Almost made him laugh out loud.

Naruto gave a low, embarrassed laugh. "I mean, not that it's that hard to figure out. How to and all…Yeah."

"So, you _were_ attracted to women."

"Not now."

"Not now?"

"I told you, asshole. I'm attracted to you. And I can't really explain it, so don't ask," Naruto muttered, burying his head against Sasuke's shoulder. Lips pressed absently against the nearest portion of skin, hands once again seeking out the smooth expanse of skin they had worked so hard to uncover.

Every aspect of him felt hot, as though the blush had called forth blood to every inch of Naruto's skin. Hands burned against his stomach, lips scalding despite the near-miss kisses they were placing. Sasuke slid his hands around Naruto's torso, pulled the young man closer to him. Suddenly felt a little more in control.

"Have you?" the blond whispered.

Sasuke halted, fingers digging into Naruto's back as the question reformed itself inside his head. A bleak smile settled over his lips, though the Sociology major couldn't see it. To ensure that he didn't, Sasuke lowered his head, let his teeth graze along the blond's exposed neck. "Can I finish stripping you?"

"Eh?" Naruto lifted his head, caught the darkly mischievous look in Sasuke's eyes. "You really…want to?"

"If you keep asking questions, I'm not going to want to!" the Architecture major exclaimed as he gave a firm tug on the shirt.

With a grin, the blond lifted up his arms, let the shirt sweep up and over his head. Before he could lower his hands though, the cottony material still wrapped around his wrists, Sasuke leaned in and captured Naruto's lips with his mouth.

The prodigy relinquished his hold on the T-shirt, slipped his arms down and around Naruto's body. Fingers once again reclaimed their previous position, swimming through the bright blond locks with no other purpose than to feel. Softly, Sasuke shifted his attention to Naruto's lower lip, carefully suckling on the tender flesh until the blond moaned.

Tossing his shirt to the ground, Naruto pulled the prodigy against him. Began to draw him backwards into the bedroom, which was just as clean as he had promised earlier. He was suddenly aware that he had yet to divest Sasuke of his dress shirt, the material rubbing against his knuckles as his hands dug into the Architecture major's back.

The blond drew his arms back around and sent his hands north where they attacked the smooth cloth still straddling Sasuke's chest. Gripping the edges, Naruto pulled down on the sleeves, left the shirt in their wake as they continued on towards the bed.

When his knees hit the back of the bed, Naruto sat back, hands suddenly diving down, fingers digging into the top edge of Sasuke's jeans. Not ready to let the dark-haired prodigy sit, Naruto settled his lips just beneath his bellybutton. After administering a series of kisses to the area, each one marking a path downward, Naruto blew gently across the pale skin.

"Would you quit that, dumbass? It tickles," Sasuke muttered as the hair along his body rose away from his skin.

The blond laughed. "Just highlighting your happy trail…"

"My what?"

Another spurt of laughter as bright blue eyes caught Sasuke's gaze. Fingers made quick work of the belt holding the denim on his hips, peeled back the material to expose the path of black hair that ran from his bellybutton to his groin. Naruto dragged his index finger along it, pulling Sasuke's boxers down slightly, and grinned as he noted the awakening arousal just underneath.

"_That's_…your happy trail."

"I can see that," Sasuke scowled. He stepped back, pulled off his shoes and socks. Let his jeans fall to the floor with the muted metal clicking of the belt concealed within the cloth.

Rather than get up and follow suit, Naruto simply sat back on his elbows, watched the near-naked son of the Uchiha family. He found the scene rather arousing, even as Sasuke stood there glaring at his lack of action. Found it somewhat amusing that now that the prodigy stood there like this in his bedroom, he couldn't deny that the young man was gorgeous. That dark sort of beauty, full of hidden imperfection that, in the right view, made him all the more beautiful.

"Would you get naked already?" Sasuke asked, though it seemed more like a command.

Naruto laughed, slowly pushed himself off of the bed. He made his way to Sasuke, and once before him, slipped his hand behind the young man's head and pulled him into a kiss.

For a moment, the Architecture major struggled against the action, hands pushing against the blond's chest. Stubbornly insisting that he wasn't about to be the only one standing exposed like that. Then, Sasuke stopped, giving himself over to Naruto's demanding mouth. But not, as the blond was about to find out, because he had given in.

Delicate hands twisted their way down over Naruto's chest, nails dragging down over the tanned skin until fingers hit upon the edge of his pants. Once there, they loosened the belt, but instead of dropping his jeans to the floor, Sasuke slid his hand under the material, beneath the cotton boxers. The blond gasped as fingers danced along his erection.

"That's not fair, Sasuke! At least wait until I'm naked!"

Surprisingly soft fingertips skimmed along the underside of his cock. With a smirk, Sasuke poured his words into Naruto's ear. "You take too long."

"Just…give me a second," the blond whined, wanting to dance away from the Architecture major but unwilling to give up the pleasurable sensations that were snaking their way up from his groin.

Satisfied with the thought that things were finally getting somewhere, Sasuke removed his hand and stood back, arms crossed over his chest as he waited from Naruto to strip down.

Muttering, though entirely amused by the situation, the blond stepped out of his shoes and kicked them to the side. He tossed a grin in Sasuke's direction, almost breaking into laughter at the intent look on his face, before hooking his thumbs along the top most edge of his jeans. Made a last minute decision – he wasn't about to be topped by Uchiha Sasuke – and with one fell motion, stood stark naked before the dark-haired prodigy.

He leaned forward and gathered up his clothes, stopping a moment to pull off his socks before tossing the pile by the dresser. "Now…"

Sasuke quirked a brow at the word, took a step towards the blond. "What?"

Closing the gap between them with a few short strides, Naruto drew his body up against Sasuke's. Shuddered with desire as the tip of his cock rubbed against the smooth material of the prodigy's boxers, the hardness that lay beneath. He could feel Sasuke's lips hot against his shoulder, nipping and teasing along his collarbone. With a glance downward, he caught those dark eyes fastened on his face, studying each and every reaction. Absorbing every ounce of him.

Naruto lifted his right hand, caught Sasuke's jaw with his fingers. Cautiously, he tipped the young man's chin up while bringing his mouth down. Let his lips linger along the edges of Sasuke's, not quite committing, not quite pulling away. Bright blues adjusted their line of sight, skimming down over the spray of black lash, to catch Sasuke staring back up at him.

Pushing him back to the bed, Naruto finally erased the gap between their mouths. Settled his lips harder against Sasuke's with every step backwards, tongue slipping out and demanding attention. He slid his free hand down, let it tease along the edges of the prodigy's boxers.

Pulling back slightly, he whispered, "Take them off."

Sasuke blinked, drawing his mind out of the sensations Naruto's mouth had worked over his body. Silently obeyed the command, slight hands moving down the blond's arm, tangling up among his fingers, then dipping down to tug off the cloth still separating them.

When Naruto ran his hands over his ass, Sasuke gave a low hiss. Sucked the air back up between clenched teeth when those same appendages moved to the front, thick fingers hesitantly exploring the length of his cock.

The blond couldn't help but grin at the reaction he was getting. He loved that look, the growing flush of red over the Architecture major's cheeks, lips drawing together as he vainly sought to shut in the sounds of desire. With each stroke, he watched as Sasuke's mouth relaxed, parted to voice more and more of the moan dammed up in his throat. Found the whole scene was making him ache terribly, searing fire licking at his insides, hardening his erection to the point it was almost painful.

Without really knowing how it happened - want was as blinding as alcohol - Naruto found himself hovering over Sasuke, the tip of his cock pressing against the other's ass. His body shook, needing desperately to work out all the pent-up desire it had been harboring since he had first kissed the dark-haired Architecture student.

"Are you sure this is ok?" the blond asked, the edge of fear creeping into his voice. Gently, he settled his lips between Sasuke's shoulder blades, marveled at the warmth that greeted him.

"We've been through this already," came the annoyed response, followed by a wriggling of that slight body that made Naruto ache all the more.

Needing no other encouragement, his body reacted, hips grinding against accepting flesh. In some corner of his mind, untouched by the craving to connect and release, Naruto found the situation did not perturb him as he might have thought it would only hours ago. It was natural. And it was something about the young man beneath him that made it so. Had nothing to do with the circumstances of the night, and everything to do with Uchiha Sasuke.

The whole act was a bit rougher than he expected it to be, Sasuke surprisingly capable of handling harsher physical situations than Naruto had previously thought. Liked it even, pleasured exhalations spilling out of his mouth with every thrust. Breathy and pushing for more.

And here, he had been secretly afraid he would hurt the young man. Digging his fingers into the Architecture major's sides, the blond steadied himself, sought to keep himself in check. There was no way he was going to finish before Sasuke.

Which proved to be the case anyway. The mind can only hold off the body for so long, and before he could catch himself, Naruto found his muscles tensing in that split-second precursor to final release. He panted hard, set his forehead upon Sasuke's back, sweat-soaked slivers of blond plastered against his skin, as he slowly brought his motions back under control.

Nearly missed his name as it was hissed out under Sasuke's breath. Heavy and somewhat strained as the dark-haired prodigy came over the sheets. Tremors ran through the length of his figure, causing the blond to wrap his arms around him. Holding him tightly against his chest. Sasuke breathed out, exhausted, and somewhat relieved. Comforted. A terse puff of laughter slipped past his lips.

"What?" Naruto panted, once more pressing a kiss into Sasuke's spine.

The prodigy shook his head, the motion sending a small bead of sweat rolling down the back of his neck. "Nothing, Naruto."

"Was I bad?"

Fear once again shook his voice, though Sasuke could detect the tiredness in it as well. He waited as Naruto pulled himself out before replying. "God awful."

"Very funny, jackass," Naruto muttered.

With a snicker, the Architecture majored rolled up the soiled sheets beneath him, pulling them out and tossing them to the floor, before collapsing onto the mattress. "I'm sleeping here tonight."

Naruto stared down at the naked figure curling up over his bed. He sat down, poked Sasuke in the back, then plopped down by his side. "Did you think I was going to kick you out? 'Here you go, asshole, take your clothes and your Gatorade bottle and have a fun walk back butt-naked to your apartment.'"

"I could see you doing that."

"Really?"

"Would you?"

Naruto blinked over at the dark-haired prodigy, who now lay on his back, fully exposed to the night. "No! I wouldn't do something like that. I'm not an asshole."

Sasuke opened one eye, an amused smile toying about the edges of his lips as he examined the blond. Naruto lay on his side, a stubborn expression causing his brow to furrow and his eyes to squint. "I know. You're a dumbass."

"Sasuke!"

"I'm going to sleep, Naruto." With that said, the Architecture major rolled onto his side, reached down to grab the comforter.

The blond sighed, pulled the comforter up over his hips. He lay there, quietly staring at the back of Sasuke's head until a thought struck him. "Hey, Sasuke?"

"What?"

"Merry Christmas."

For a moment, Naruto wondered if he had pissed off the prodigy. Maybe he was one of those guys that wanted nothing more than to sleep after sex, and being denied that, got extremely short-tempered. Well, he liked to sleep too, but even so. It was Christmas, after all. Though, the thought of having sex on Christmas didn't exactly seem like the most moral way to celebrate the holiday. The blond grinned with guilty satisfaction. It had been rather enjoyable though…

The mattress gave a low creak as Sasuke rolled back over. Dark eyes settled upon Naruto's face, studied the expression there intently. The vague hints of a smile ghosted over his lips as he rolled back over, pulling the comforter up over his shoulders. "Merry Christmas."


	5. Epilogue

**Author's Note:** So, it's finally been written. Or rewritten I should say since I lost both my previous drafts when my computer died on me. Hopefully this turned out ok! It's been a lot of fun revisiting this story once again, but now it is officially at its close. Thank you to everyone who has enjoyed reading this little fanfic of mine, and particularly those who have been looking forward to this epilogue for so very long! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my readers! Enjoy!

* * *

It's not that he had anything against salad. It was just. . .well, what sort of perfectly sane college student (excluding pretty much every sorority girl he knew, but then again, sanity among them was a fairly questionable topic) actually _choose_ to eat it? Really, it wasn't as though Sasuke needed to be on a diet. The kid worked out religiously everyday without fail. He would know; he practically lived with the guy now. 

Which kind of explained the whole salad thing. Sasuke liked them. Add that to some weird clear broth soup, though while not half bad certainly wasn't anywhere near as delicious as his left over Cup Ramen, and the Uchiha heir seemed quite content to call it a lunch. Or dinner. Naruto sometimes wondered when it was Sasuke actually bothered to eat a decent meal, or how the Uchiha heir had ever managed before he had actually come into the other boy's life.

At least now there was no denying that Sasuke's fridge was full. Usually emptied within a few days too (which was perfectly fine because it's not like the Uchiha didn't have money to spare). Ok, so maybe Sasuke did eat because Naruto was certain he didn't eat that much. He'd gotten along just fine on campus food and ramen for the last three and a half years after all, and he sure as hell wasn't getting fat.

"Oi, Sasuke," the blond called out as he kicked open the door leading to one of the architecture studios. He glanced around the room, though the presence of the dark-haired young man was hard to dismiss. Especially when Sasuke was the only one currently using the place. Naruto had run into a few others kids running about the hallways, faces he vaguely recalled only because he had seen them around here before. Sasuke didn't seem to keep tabs on them either though because Naruto never got anything in the way of names. "You'd better eat some of this pizza, asshole."

Sasuke didn't even look up from the design he was working on. Had been, actually, for the last three hours. Fingers moved fluidly over the crisp white plane of paper, hovering just above the surface to avoid smudging any of the lines he had so carefully etched into being. Not that it took a lot of effort. He was far too good at this point to make such a freshman mistake. It impressed Naruto nonetheless, and that always made him smirk. Like it was really all that difficult. Then again, sometimes he was certain the blond would have marveled over the fact that you _could_, in fact, stay within the lines when coloring.

"Don't put it anywhere near this, moron, or I may be forced to kill you," Sasuke stated, the threat uttered with the air of _I could really care less_ but delivered with a flick of his gaze upward. A warning that was worn rather than spoken. Naruto knew all too well about those now.

Taking up residence on the table in front of Sasuke's, the blond set the pizza box down with a sharp crack. His answer to the threat.

"This better not be another all-nighter."

Honestly speaking, Naruto knew quite a bit about all-nighters. He tended to pull them more often than not, and then cursed himself when he was running ten minutes late to his exams and all the information was flying out of his skull with every step he took to get to there.

But that had been before he had met Sasuke. Well, before they had started this little thing between them, where he kinda, sorta ended up spending more nights in Sasuke's bed than falling asleep wherever he found the room to in his own apartment. And like it or not, Sasuke was really warm. . .. and he cooked breakfast. And it kind of made him hate it when Sasuke forgot that he just might be waiting for him to come home and he was, instead, left with an empty bed.

"Tch. . .does this look like it's going to be, moron?" Sasuke muttered. Shifting his ruler, he brought his pencil down once more. Anyone with half a brain could tell that what rested on his sheet was a practically complete design. He only needed to ink it, maybe add a bit of color for embellishment. Nothing that would take too long. "Besides, it's not like I called you here."

"Just go ahead and be a callous bastard to the one who brought you dinner."

"Did you get a salad?"

Naruto clicked his tongue in annoyance. Did he get. . .just how long did he think they'd been together? He was slow, not stupid, and that was only some of the times. "Of course, I got your damn salad."

"Good. Now eat it."

"Fin. . .wait. . .what?!"

Sasuke merely straightened himself up, set his pencil down as though he hadn't even heard the confused reaction. Then, Naruto caught the quirk of lips upwards and knew that somewhere in the midst of all of this, something had gone according to Sasuke's twisted little plan. Walking over to the other side of the table, the Uchiha heir eyed the pizza box before taking a napkin and helping himself to a slice.

"You eat too much crap, Naruto."

The blond merely mouthed a response as he watched the Architecture major bite into what should have been _his_ first slice. Why would he buy a salad when he had just ordered himself a perfectly delicious pizza? Sasuke was spending way too many hours cooped up in this place. It had to be the white walls. Or maybe the paint fumes coming from down the hall [proper ventilation his ass. In either case, Sasuke was clearly not thinking straight.

"I do not!" he finally managed to spit out. Defensive, and rightfully so he felt. "What the hell, Sasuke? I eat perfectly fine! I even eat that crap you make. . ."

"Japanese food," Sasuke corrected without the least bit of annoyance. It was merely a second nature sort of thing that came along with a cocky little smirk. A habit anyone would pick up when dealing with Naruto almost daily.

"Ramen is Japanese!"

"Not that shit you eat."

"Yeah. . .well. . .whatever. I still like it," Naruto concluded sullenly. There was nothing wrong with his ramen, even if it wasn't authentic, good-enough-for-those-with-massive-sticks-up-their-asses ramen. Pft. Sasuke acting like he was so much better because he knew what real ramen was. "Why are you being such an ass tonight?"

Popping the plastic lid off of the salad's container, the blond grumbled to himself. He stabbed into a portion of lettuce with undue vehemence when Sasuke failed to answer in a timely manner. Redirected aggression is what they called it. Throwing at glare in the Uchiha's general direction, Naruto chewed loudly with undisguised irritation.

Sasuke, meanwhile, simply tore off another piece from his pizza slice and scanned over his work.

"Real mature, asshole! Just ignore me then!" Naruto spit out between bites. He didn't even know why he bothered to come here. It wasn't as though he hadn't experienced this before with Sasuke, but he was generally expecting these episodes when they occurred now. Either he knew he had done something that was bound to rub the Uchiha heir the wrong way or Sasuke just radiated a certain brand of pissed off that clued him into the dark-haired boy's mood. But when they had talked on the phone earlier there had been nothing littering their conversation that made him believe Sasuke was in a petulant mood.

Apparently he wasn't so good at reading people over the phone.

Depositing the crust of his pizza into Naruto's salad container, Sasuke slid off of the table and made his way over to his messenger bag. He pulled out a bottle of water and chugged about a third of it before capping the bottle and tossing a rather cold (though somewhat angry, it seemed) glance at Naruto. And still, there was that faint trace of absolute arrogance that knew nothing other than absolute supremacy.

"Some kid was telling me you have a rather small cock."

It was simply stated, as if Sasuke had merely been informing Naruto that he would be ready to leave within the next hour. Wiping his hands on a napkin, the Uchiha heir studied his partner carefully, critically before turning around to select a pen and starting once more on his assignment.

Naruto, however, was quite bewildered. It was the comment from left field, or more like the foul ball that blindsided some unsuspecting fan as they were returning to their seat. Who the hell would even. . .

"Ah! That pervert!," Naruto cried out, nearly dropping his food all over the floor below. He didn't even know how to begin explain that, least of all try and comprehend why Sasuke seemed so irritated by the whole thing.

The Uchiha heir glanced up only once, when silence had settled over the room. Expectant, but not about to pull the words, syllable by syllable, from the blond's mouth.

Running a hand through his hair, Naruto thought of the best way to approach the matter. It's not like he and Sasuke had ever really declared anything. The whole sleeping together and sharing apartments and hanging out had just kind of happened after that one night. Sasuke put no label on it, and Naruto had offered none. He had just accepted it because it had felt good. He liked having something like home to come back to after classes. He liked having someone who seemed to want him around, who acknowledged him even if it was through pointless arguments. Like this one that was about to start if he didn't think of something to say.

And he really didn't want to spend the night at his place. Without air conditioning, it was going to be sweltering and besides, he hadn't even bothered to stock his own kitchen what with having spent the last week at Sasuke's. Naruto set his salad aside, looked around the room before getting annoyed by the fact that Sasuke was once more working on his project like nothing had been said.

"It's not. . ."

"I know it's not," Sasuke cut him off. There was that arrogant smirk climbing over his lips again, a look Naruto just barely caught as the Uchiha heir shifted to reach a new portion of his sketch.

"If you know, then I'm not going to bothe. . ."

"Explain it, Naruto."

There was no room for argument in that statement. A command really, and everything inside of Naruto balked at it. Like he was going to let this self-assured bastard act like there was nothing wrong with them when there was obviously something he hated about the idea of some guy talking about the size of his. . .

"You should be telling me! That kid's a part of this department and apparently in our graduating class. If anything, you should know the freak. . ." Naruto began. Flustered and frustrated, and the fact that he really just wanted a slice of pizza was grating on his nerves. He could have been eating his second slice by this point. Sasuke was such a dick sometimes. . .

"I was in the bathroom, minding my own fucking business when this kid just started staring at me, and I thought maybe he was interested in me or something because he was kind of intent about looking at it, and I just cleared my throat, and he gave me this weird look and just said I was small. . ." – Naruto took a breath here – ". . .I told him I wasn't, and he just gave me that irritating smirk you sometimes get when you think you're all right about something, and it pissed me off. And now every time I run into that jerk, he gives me this blank look and then is all like 'Oh, it's the no-dick kid', and the only reason I haven't punched him in the damn face is because it would get me banned from this building."

Sasuke had to admit, Naruto was pretty fucking cute when he got exasperated. Annoying, maybe just a bit, but still cute when defending his honor. He could only give that as his reason for why he had begun to laugh partway through the blond's explanation. Well, that and the fact that he knew it would piss Naruto off, and there was something rather enticing about the blond when he was all worked up.

"You know what? Fuck you, Uchiha," Naruto growled when he heard the noise Sasuke was making over his well-intentioned explanation. Ripping open the lid of the pizza box, he grabbed the nearest slice and tore into it. Chewed roughly for a moment before pointing a finger at Sasuke accusingly. "YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW. . ."

The door pushed open at that moment, a head popping in with an oddly cheerful _Sasuke_ that died away the minute the rest of that statement came bolting out of Naruto's mouth.

". . .BIG MY COCK IS. "

Sasuke was fairly certain he could feel Sakura choking on her own spit (and probably inner rage). Which really just made the situation all the more amusing. A glance up informed him that Naruto was blushing just as he had expected the blond would.

"Sa…Sa…Sakura. . .hi."

A pretty weak comeback, Naruto knew that much, but Christ, what the hell was he supposed to say after someone walked in on that? "This isn't. . .I mean, it's not. . ."

"Yes, it is," Sasuke supplied. He wasn't about to let Naruto's stuttering bout of idiocy give anybody the wrong impression. Not that it would stop the girl from pursuing her usual course of action, which he anticipated would start within the next five seconds.

Though, it was going to be interesting to see how this all played out. Sasuke smirked, then traced another flawless line over his design.

The door shut with a reverberating clang, one that barely fazed Sasuke and seemed to send tremors quaking down Naruto's spine. The blond slide from the table, abandoning his pizza slice in the box. He could do cold pizza, but trying to act all nonchalant, I'm-totally-above-this like Sasuke was simply not an option for Naruto. He'd had enough run-ins with the pink-haired girl since Christmas to know that there was never really any such thing as escaping a woman's wrath. It would find you, particularly when you least expected it, and it would hurt. Naruto slid up alongside Sasuke, hoping that his proximity to the other boy would somehow deter the worst of Sakura's anger.

"I didn't mean for you. . ."

"How could you even say something like that, Naruto?" she shrieked (or whatever that was she did because she was obviously making an attempt to conceal her reaction from Sasuke by hissing with an strange strident edge into the his ear). She gave the skin of his bicep a hard pinch and twist before turning a sweet smile on the Uchiha heir. "Sasuke, how can you let him talk to you like that? It's so degrading. . ."

"Owowowowow, Sakuraaaaa. . . "

"Shut up, Naruto! I'm not talking to you."

Seeming relatively unperturbed by the events happening at his side, Sasuke continued to polish off his assignment. It's not like this really concerned him. Besides, he did have to finish this if. . ."Naruto, if you want me to be home tonight, then take your fight elsewhere."

"_My_ fight?" Naruto cried out. "How is this mine?! You started this by talking about Sai!"

"Oh, so he has a name."

"Who is Sai?"

"Not now, Sakura. Can you please let go of my arm?"

"Tell me who Sai is."

"He's some art kid who keepstalkingaboutmypenis."

"Who the hell wants to know about your penis, Naruto?"

"I'm trying to finish this assignment. Tch. . .take it outside."

Tugging his arm free of Sakura's (iron) grip, Naruto muttered something to himself that merely earned him a withering glance from Sakura, who was not at all impressed with the way things had turned out. The blond began to rub at the spot of his arm that had just been sorely abused, pouted when he noted the blossoming of red that he was certain would bruise to some degree.

"Man, Sakura. . .Did you have to be so mean? That hurt, you know!" he muttered, sulking.

With a soft clearing of her throat, Sakura peered over Sasuke's shoulder. Effectively ignoring Naruto's complaint. It's not that the topic was particularly upsetting. It was just that there had been rumors circulating for awhile, and she was fairly certain she had caught something about _coming home_ from Sasuke's mouth just before things got out of hand. "Sasuke. . .you really shouldn't encourage Naruto to talk like that. It's not something you need to bother yourself with, right?"

She was trying. Oh, she was trying.

"I don't really care."

"Eh? But before, you would. . ."

Sasuke sighed, irritation obvious in the way he ran his hand roughly through his hair. Merely looking at Sakura from the corner of his eyes, he said, "That was before. Which obviously implies it is not now."

Not _particularly_ scathing, but hope was a funny thing. She offered him a small smile, one whispering of a blatant attempt at disbelief. Because this wasn't going where she believed it to be. "Do you really think it's ok to be wasting your time with him though?"

Naruto, in the meanwhile, had gone off to examine his arm in a nearby shard of a mirror that someone was probably hoping to use in some sort of project later on. Not that he cared. Wasn't like he was touching it or anything. Just looking, especially at the way it caught Sasuke's face. It almost made him feel bad for Sakura. After all, he'd suffered through that callous look before. Coolly arrogant in the way that made you want to hate and admire Sasuke all in the same breath.

But then, and he just barely caught it before Sasuke returned his attention to his work at hand, there had been that smirk. That oddly knowing, strangely confident smirk that he knew as well. It was the one that made Naruto smile despite himself.

"I don't really consider the last three months we've been fucking each other a waste of my time, Sakura, if that is what you are implying."


End file.
